Cross-national grid integration

PV energy output is impacted by environmental factors, such as solar angle, atmospheric clarity, cloudiness, dust/pollen accumulation, etc. The variability in energy production can change quickly, which requires intentional monitoring or modelling to predict available energy loads. Operators need this information to adjust energy production on other systems, as needed.

There are several options on the market for approximating energy production. Some utility companies have their own data science teams that address this directly, while others use third-party sources. Publicly available options exist as well, but some users find that existing options are either not accessible to teams or are not updated frequently enough to help utility managers with timely planning.

Historical satellite imagery and other geo-information data may help estimate maximum solar production potential due to seasonality, weather, dust accumulation, and other environmental factors. Users identified 4 specific needs, each requiring one or more specific geospatial products (geo-requirements):

1.        User Need 2.1: Average PV potential based on site-specific environmental conditions

2.        User Need 2.2: Up-to-date predicted PV contributions to the grid with fine temporal resolution

3.        User Need 2.3: Predicted energy demand by consumers

4.        User Need 2.4: Alerts when PV systems are anticipated to have below-threshold production